Transplant bushes - timing

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MikeMikeMike
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Transplant bushes - timing

Post by MikeMikeMike » August 22nd, 2017, 8:43 pm

I've got 3 burning bushes, 3 evergreen bushes of some kind and 2 barberries I want to transplant. Should I wait till things go totally dormant or is it OK to transplant now? Temps should be mid 70's for the next couple weeks if that matters. If you need any other info just let me know. Thanks!

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andy10917
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Re: Transplant bushes - timing

Post by andy10917 » August 22nd, 2017, 9:34 pm

Around Labor Day is a good time for many plants, but "evergreen bushes of some kind" is unlikely to get you committed answers. Either go with general advice, or get to good ID's...

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Re: Transplant bushes - timing

Post by TimmyG » August 22nd, 2017, 9:43 pm

Scrap the burning bushes. I, too, considered moving two large ones from the front of my house (foolish previous owners), but decided against it. There's a reason they are now prohibited in many states: they're super invasive, and even if you don't see seedlings popping up in your yard, the birds are carrying the seeds far and wide. Plus, there are many alternatives that provide similar fall color but also springs blooms without the hassle of pruning. Even the "compact" cultivar wants to grow 10+ feet tall and wide. I will be scrapping mine as soon as this fall's color show is over.

Evergreens don't go dormant, which is exactly why you want to transplant them in the spring. Water is hard to come by in the winter when the ground is frozen and the air is cold and dry. Transplanting evergreens in the winter leaves them extremely vulnerable to dessiccation. I've tried and failed, and I'm quite experienced with transplanting. You could try now as it might just be early enough for them to establish new roots, but only risk it if they're small enough that you can dig a relatively large root ball.

Barberries are quite robust, weedy almost. Of course, they're a pain in the arse to transplant because of the thorns, especially if they're large. I've got a large one slated for transplanting in the spring (happens to be behind one of those obnoxious burning bushes). I won't risk moving it this late in the year because of its size. Instead, I'll prune it aggressively in the spring and then move it. I tried moving a large one late in the year many years ago, but it failed because not enough of the root ball could be dug and lifted to make it through the winter.

Google for advice on transplanting for each of your specific plants. Also read up on root pruning.

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MikeMikeMike
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Re: Transplant bushes - timing

Post by MikeMikeMike » August 23rd, 2017, 9:53 am

andy10917 wrote:
August 22nd, 2017, 9:34 pm
Around Labor Day is a good time for many plants, but "evergreen bushes of some kind" is unlikely to get you committed answers. Either go with general advice, or get to good ID's...
I'm more focused on the burning bush and barberry, I threw in the evergreen while I was at it but I'm working on an ID for those so I'll update the info for everyone. :)

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MikeMikeMike
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Re: Transplant bushes - timing

Post by MikeMikeMike » August 23rd, 2017, 10:36 am

TimmyG thanks for the link.

OK so the evergreen "of some kind" is just a Boxwood. I'll plan to move them in early spring.

I've been doing a lot to the lawn this year and I can't hear the wife one more time say ":club: how much did that cost?" lol So my aim with the bushes was to reuse the junk already here for a couple years until I've got the money to do things the way I really want but I could always hold off, it's not really a huge deal.

It's a 50'x6' strip on the south side of my house, it's full sun from sun up to sun down. It's the side of the house with all the utilities and nothing else. I need some tall but narrow growers so I'll trash the burning bushes and keep looking.


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Re: Transplant bushes - timing

Post by TimmyG » August 23rd, 2017, 11:54 am

Have you researched at all? As Andy alluded, early September should be a good time to transplant the boxwoods and barberries. Just follow the consensus of advice you find online. Do it sooner rather than later or wait until spring.

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